p. 157 | THE SABBATH by R. F. C.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 2, 1861

THE SABBATH.

By R. F. C.

"SABBATH; this word means REST. When God had made the heavens and the earth, in the space of six days, he rested on the seventh, and ordered it to be observed as a day set apart for himself, or occupied in the exercises of religion. Though it was really the seventh day to God, to man who was formed on the evening of the last day, it was the first and kept as such for ages, though called the seventh part of time. Gen. ii, 2, 3. In the first institution of the Sabbath, it was intended to call to mind the wisdom, power and goodness of God, as they are displayed in the creation of the world; but after the return of the children of Israel from their state of servitude and hard bondage in Egypt, that was urged as an additional object of recollection on the Sabbath day; and also as an additional motive to its observance. The day was at the same time changed, to correspond to that memorable event, and to preserve the Hebrews more effectually from idolatry, by making their day of worship different from that of the heathen. Deut. v, 14, 15. Under the Christian dispensation, which unites Jews and Gentiles, the Sabbath is altered back again from the seventh to the first day of the week, on which the Redeemer himself rose from the dead. On the first day of the week Jesus Christ made repeated visits to his disciples, who were evidently assembled together for religious purposes. John xx, 19, 26. On the first day of the week the disciples came together to break bread and hear Paul preach. Acts xx, 7. Upon the first day of the week the Corinthians were required to lay by their contributions for the poor. 1 Cor. xvi, 2. And the first day of the week is called THE LORD'S DAY. Rev. i, 10." Malcom's Bible Dictionary.

The above is a specimen of the presumptuous boldness and brazen-faced effrontery of those who are not afraid to break the commandments of God and teach men so. Men of the nineteenth century can manufacture historical facts for the antediluvian, patriarchal and Jewish ages, for which there is not the first particle of proof in any ancient record sacred or profane. Where is the record that during the first ages of the world, the Sabbath was kept as the first day of the week? or that it was called a seventh part of time in those days? Such record does not exist. It is a sheer fabrication. It is a mere invention to support the groundless theory of indefiniteness in respect to the day. In those ancient times the Sabbath was called "the seventh day." No necessity existed then for quibbling over the commandment by talking about "a seventh part of time," for such a thing as a change of the Sabbath had not then been thought of. The fourth commandment proves conclusively that the Sabbath was not changed when Israel came out of Egypt. It required them still to REMEMBER THE REST DAY. It tells them that THE SEVENTH DAY, not "a seventh part of time," is that rest day of the Lord, and also when he rested upon it; namely, when he had made the world in six days, and given this as the reason why God blessed the day and sanctified it. Think for a moment of setting apart a seventh part of the week and not determining which seventh part. We could not say whether the whole week was sanctified, or no part of it at all. The Sabbath is the sign and memorial of the true God [Ex. xxxi, 17], and consequently a guard against the worship of all false gods. But our writer seems to think that the heathen, who were departed from the true God, still kept the true Sabbath, and therefore it was necessary to change the day to separate the Hebrews from the heathen. It is true that the heathen, quite anciently, worshiped the sun upon the first day, consequently it was called Sunday. But there is no evidence that they kept it as the Sabbath upon which God rested. Had they remembered his rest day, they must have remembered the Creator, and consequently would not have worshiped the sun or any other created object.

Our author says the Sabbath was the first day to man, as he was created on the sixth day. Did he suppose that man kept the Sabbath before it was instituted—before it was blessed and sanctified? But it was not sanctified till after God had rested upon it. He blessed and sanctified it because he had rested upon it. The Sabbath was not "made for man" till the first seventh day was past. It was his duty to keep the next seventh day.

Where are we informed that the Sabbath was altered back again from the seventh to the first day? It is probable, though not recorded, that Christ "made repeated visits to his disciples" on the first day; for he was seen of them forty days. But so far from their being "assembled together for religious purposes," on the only recorded instance, we are expressly informed that they sat at meat—they were eating their supper. And so far from celebrating the resurrection they did not believe that Christ was risen. Paul broke bread on the first day, and then started on a long journey the same day.

Our writer says that the first day is called the Lord's day, and refers us to Rev. i, 10 for the proof. But this text does not mention the first day; and this is all the evidence there is in the New Testament that the first day was called the Lord's day. It only proves that there was a Lord's day at that time, and no other day of the week but the seventh is anywhere in the Bible called by such a title.

How silly a creature is man! For a few centuries past a portion of our race have been laboring to prove one change of the Sabbath, but having signally failed in this for want of evidence, they have now undertaken to prove two changes, without any increase of their stock of evidence. R. F. C.